A Past Unrelenting
by Yellow-eyed-wonder
Summary: The day following the events of the Great Thaw, Anna rises bright and early, anxious to seek out her sister, with whom she had just been reunited. But as raw emotions boil up to the surface, can two sisters, after years of feeling lonely, dejected, and forgotten, really begin their lives anew? One-shot.


**A/N: **Hi there! Long time no see. I've finally gotten the urge to get back into writing, and while I have updates for my other fics in the works, I got the urge to write this one-shot. Now, those who have followed me might find this similar to another work of mine. And yes... it is. As my first Frozen fanfiction, I find that I really didn't understand the characters at the level that I do now, so I figured I owed this topic a revisit and just feel that it works better this way. But who knows. Maybe I'm wrong, lol. Hope you enjoy it in any case. :) Review and let me know! I look forward to hearing from you!

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A Past Unrelenting

Moving ever slower down the familiar corridor, the burning ball in the pit of the young princess's stomach only grew. She stopped for a moment in an attempt to steady her raging nerves, which were firing off like an endless string of firecrackers. But it was no use. Nothing could possibly prepare her for this. Despite her nerves, she pushed forward; her teeth biting their way deeper and deeper into her bottom lip. Sooner than she had hoped, she was face to face with her old, wooden companion. Its intricate designs- once beautiful, but now just a burning reminder- stared deep into her soul and seared her to the core. Her stomach felt as if it were surely going to burst had she dared to wait a moment longer.

Today was the day. The day the door would spring open at the longing request of her hand… at least, that was what she had certainly hoped. Thirteen long years of disappointment will tend to make you doubt. It had only been yesterday, after all, that she and her sister were finally reunited after so many lonesome years apart- separated by this very door. But enough. It was time.

*knock knock knock*

It was around 9 o'clock in morning. The sunlight trickled in through the many castle windows, filling the corridor with a warm, pleasant glow. Anna couldn't remember the last time she had managed to get herself up at this hour, but today was different. The sooner she would wake up, the sooner she would get to see her. For the first time in forever, she could actually greet her sister to a brand new day.

*knock knock knock*

"Elsa?" No answer. She tried again.

*knock knock knock*

The burning ball in her stomach was now a raging inferno, sinking ever deeper as if it were sent helplessly plummeting from the peak of the North Mountain.

*knock knock knock*

_Why isn't she answering?!_ She began to panic; the anxiety growing exponentially with every passing second. Had she changed her mind? Was it all just too much to handle? Could it really all be over so quickly? Anna's frightened, fragile mind couldn't help leaping to such conclusions. Tears quickly threatened to spill over from her soft turquoise eyes as the barrage of awful thoughts continued their assault. Just as she was wiping her tears with the silky sleeve of her nightgown, a quiet voice peeped from only a few feet away.

"Anna?"

Anna's heart skipped a beat. Or two. She wasn't counting. After wiping her eyes once more, in a vain attempt at ridding her tears, she turned in the direction of the soft, melodic, but uncertain voice.

"Anna, are you… crying?" Her tone and expression were laced with sadness. She knew Anna had cried over the years. More times than she could ever- or could ever care to- count. But never had she seen it. It pained her like a knife deeply planted in her back.

Anna sprang forward, nearly sending Elsa to the ground in a tight embrace, completely oblivious to the fact that contact, especially like this, was something Elsa was just not accustomed to. She clutched the fabric of her sister's blouse as tears once again met her eyes. "Oh Elsa. I was so scared."

Elsa's body wanted so badly to panic at the sudden contact, but her mind knew better. She gritted her teeth as she tried her very hardest to keep her nerves under control. After so long without physical touch of any kind, it was going to take some serious getting used to. It was then that the questions began their frantic race throughout her mind. What could have had her so upset? She wasn't positive, but the aching in her gut told her the fact that Anna was standing in front of her door had an awful lot to do with it. Elsa tried to comfort Anna in the best way she could, gently pulling her arms around her.

"Shh, it's alright," Elsa whispered, her voice soft like the finest velvet. "Please, don't cry," she pleaded, her voice slowly beginning to quiver. It hurt. She just couldn't bear listening to her cry. For so many years Elsa listened on in utter silence as her sister suffered in such a lonely world. Forced to grit her teeth through every heartbreaking plea. To restrain herself with everything she had every time she felt a pull towards that blasted handle. She had effectively fashioned her own mental ball and chain; heavy from the very weight of her tragic, broken childhood. Of course she had still yearned for freedom. Yearned to finally give her little Anna the happiness she deserved. To give her every last thing she ever wanted. But she couldn't. She was left feeling utterly powerless behind her protective slab of wood- knowing very well that it was her that made her sweet sister shed such tears, and her that couldn't make them go away.

Elsa attempted to shake off the memories of her dark, gloomy past, as this time, for the first time in so long, she could finally start _doing_. She was no longer the powerless onlooker she once had been. She drew in a long, deep, calming breath. "What's wrong, Anna?"

Suddenly, the realization struck her like a rock- Elsa hadn't really been in her room at all. Her face felt as if it had been set ablaze as the flood of red-hot embarrassment welled up within her. Forcing her embarrassment to the sidelines, she confided in her sister, "I was scared."

"Of what?" Elsa asked as she gently pulled Anna back by her shoulders, looking into her tear-stained eyes.

"You didn't answer your door," Anna confessed as she averted her gaze to the floor. Her cheeks flushed a brilliant red. "I'm so used to you being in there," Anna paused, "that I never even considered that you weren't." Anna's eyes remained glued to the palace carpet.

"Oh, Anna," Elsa sighed sadly, pulling Anna in close once again. "Please. I don't want you to worry anymore. I'll never, ever put you through that again. I promise." Elsa then shifted her gaze to her bedroom door as an idea began to take life in her head. Taking Anna by the hands, she guided her over and gestured onehandedly in its direction. "You can go in, if you want to," she smiled.

Anna's teary eyes grew wide in a mix of surprise and anticipation. "Really? I can go in?"

"Of course you can," Elsa replied, placing a gentle hand on her sister's shoulder. "Things are going to be different now, right?

Anna grinned before taking a deep, steady breath in preparation. She was feeling a bit nervous, to say the least. For 13 years she had longed for this door to open. She would have given anything to spend just a mere minute in the company of her older sibling. Anything. Fighting against so many emotions building from within, she slowly reached out for the handle. With a brief 'click', the door began to swing open.

What lay beyond the door was a large and immensely tidy room- so pristine as if it had never even been lived in. Quite the contrast from her own, she had to admit. Her eyes scanned her surroundings carefully, latching onto and drinking in every last detail. Various shades of blues and purples were generously splashed throughout every inch of it. To the left side was Elsa's bed, which stood atop a sizable and lengthy purple rug. The wall at the far side of the room was home to grand triangular window, just like the one in her own, which bathed the room in generous quantities of golden sunlight. Two intricate, slender armchairs took up residence at different sides of the window, standing tall and regal like their owner. Is that perhaps where their parents sat when they would visit with Elsa, she wondered?

"So, here we are," Elsa voiced awkwardly. "I'm sorry it's taken you so long to see it."

Anna redirected her gaze to Elsa, her eyes soft and beaming with appreciation. "I just can't believe that I'm here... and you're right here with me." Anna paused. "You don't know what this means to me, Elsa."

Despite Anna's evident happiness, her mind remained heavily laden with guilt. She knew very well that she couldn't go back and change the past, but until she could talk about what happened, she feared she would never truly be at peace with herself. Elsa peered up at Anna took her sister's hands once more. "Here, follow me," Elsa whispered as she slowly led Anna to sit on her bed. The two took a seat atop the plush comforter; Elsa situated in the middle, her arms hugging her dress-veiled knees, and Anna sitting criss-crossed on the right corner.

"What is it, Elsa?" The slight yet noticeable dip in temperature, in addition to her protective posturing, was a tell-tale sign of Elsa's growing discomfort.

Elsa fidgeted slightly atop the mattress before shifting her now teary eyes to meet Anna's. There was so much torment and hurt residing in the both of them and it was in dire need of a merciful release."I'm so, so sorry, Anna. About everything. I'm so sorry I caused you so much pain."

Anna frowned. "Elsa... It's alright, really. I swear it. I understand everything now. You know that I do."

The blonde's already saddened features quickly faded into a grimace. After so many years of swallowing her pain and sadness, at last, it was her turn to be heard. It was time to let it all go. "All those years. _All of those years_ I sat in this room, alone, ignoring every last one of your attempts to reach through to me. Every plea. Every story you were kind enough to share with me from outside my door. You must have truly thought I hated you." Anna's gaze darted to the fuchsia fabric beneath her- an action that did not go unnoticed. Elsa couldn't help but reach one gut-wrenching conclusion. "You did."

Redirecting her eyes on Elsa's, sadness wove itself throughout every facet of her body, tightening its persistent, iron grip. Anna recoiled in response to the growing tightness in her chest. "I didn't really think you hated me, Elsa. I was just hurt and confused. I had no idea what I could have done that you didn't want anything else to do with me."

"Did you hate me for it?" Elsa asked hesitantly, not positive she really wanted to know the answer.

Anna winced at her sister's words. They cut through her like a freshly-sharpened dagger. "Of course I didn't hate you."

"You stopped knocking," she responded dryly.

"I just couldn't do it anymore, Elsa." She, too, was now fidgeting under the thick blanket of guilt. Her fingers soon found the loose fabric of the comforter and began playing with it nervously. "I was heartbroken. I eventually just started to realize that... this was just the way things were going to be. I didn't have to understand it. I mean, it wasn't like I could change it."

Tears ran a steady stream down Elsa's cool, snow-white cheeks. Anna's story bared a striking resemblance to her own. "I understand," Elsa's blue eyes rose to meet Anna's. "But I really missed you."

"I'm so sorry, Elsa. If I would have only known." Anna reached a gentle hand towards Elsa's cheek- an attempt to help aid in the removal of the offending tears. Flinching, however, is not quite the reaction Anna had expected from her in response. She pulled back without a moment's hesitation.

"I'm... I'm sorry!" she exclaimed in a panic, immediately aware of how she reacted and its glaring implications. "I didn't mean it!" she cried, wrapping her arms protectively around her middle.

"Shhh, Elsa. What is it?"

"I'm just," Elsa forced down the lump forming in her throat. "I'm just not used to being touched. At all."

Had someone grabbed hold of Anna's heart, squeezing it with every ounce of their might, it would be but a fraction of the pain she had felt upon hearing her sister's confession. The most basic and precious of human needs, and Elsa had suffered so many years without it. "Oh, Elsa. I'm so sorry. I didn't know." The fabric of the blanket was now firmly clutched within Anna's grasp, her knuckles turning white as anger towards herself quickly mounted within her. "No.. what am I saying? I should have known! Of course I should have known! Why didn't I? What is _wrong_ with me?" Her grip tightened. "Am I really so clueless? Oh no.. the way I tackled you out there. I'm so sorry! If I would've..."

"Anna, stop!" she demanded out of desperation, not able to withstand listening to Anna further tear herself down. "None of this is your fault. I can't stand to hear you talk like this. Please... just stop."

Tears began to sparkle once again within Anna's turquoise eyes. They couldn't help but to spill over without her anger-fueled words holding them in any longer. "I'm sorry, Elsa.. I just keep seeing you here so completely alone. What did they do to you?"

Elsa let go a heavy sigh. "It wasn't all their fault. I'm the one that wanted them to stop touching me. I didn't want to risk hurting them. My powers were really starting to get away from me then."

"How old were you?"

"Twelve." Anna's furthering concern did not go undetected. "Hey, it's okay. I'll get used to it again. It's just going to take some time." Elsa's ice-blue eyes locked once more with Anna's. "Go ahead."

"Go ahead? With what?"

"Whatever you were going to do before. I won't flinch this time. Promise." Elsa smiled.

"But, you're not crying anymore," she explained.

"Doesn't matter."

A tinge of nervousness rooted itself firmly in her gut. She felt a little strange doing it upon request, but she knew that she wouldn't have asked if she hadn't desired it. And who was she to deny Elsa of what she wanted? Slowly, she once again reached out an open hand. This time, Elsa didn't flinch in the slightest, but rather, she closed her eyes. Once her hand was gently cradled along her right cheek, Elsa practically melted into it. Her features softened and the temperature in the room returned to normal. She was soaking it all in.

Elsa couldn't recall the last time she had felt more at ease. The warmth of Anna's touch felt like golden rays of sun dancing upon her cool fair skin. The foreign contact brought on a race of tinges, springing her nerve endings to life. Rather than being frightened by it, she chose to savor every second. Elsa then opened her eyes and gently removed Anna's hand from her cheek, holding it within her own. "Anna, I promise you, I am going to do everything within my power to be the sister you have always deserved."

Anna smiled. She'd be lying to say that her words hadn't moved her, but still, she hated that Elsa felt like she somehow owed her something. Elsa owed her nothing. "Elsa... you don't have to try so hard. It's me." Anna carefully moved a hand to Elsa's shoulder. "Just be who you are. I'm just happy to finally have you back."

"But Anna..." Her voice cracked as the tears she tried so desperately to hide fought for their return. "I could have lost you yesterday."

"But you didn't," Anna reassured, her tone impossibly plush and soothing. "I wouldn't trade what happened for anything. Otherwise... well. We wouldn't be here right now, would we? We'd be stuck right where we've been trapped for the greater portion of our lives."

Anna was right. Well, almost. Elsa had become the queen, after all. She didn't care to think about it then, but how would she have handled her day to day stress and interactions, all while her powers still maintained their ice-cold grip over her mind and body? She was in no place to run a kingdom. It would have only been a matter of time before something happened, or worse, someone had gotten hurt. Then where would they be? The blonde sibling shifted her gaze back to her sister's. "You're right. I really don't know what I would have done. Some great queen I would've been."

"Eh, you would've been great," Anna smiled, her voice brimming with confidence.

Elsa raised a curious eyebrow to her ever, sometimes annoyingly, positive sister. What she wouldn't give to possess only a fraction of that confidence that seemed to come to her so easily. "You think so, huh?"

"Mhmm," she looked to Elsa with a grin and love deep within her eyes. "I know it. But now.. you don't have to face it all alone."

Elsa beamed brightly as the weight on her mind was slowly beginning to diminish. A hint of laughter bubbled up from under her breath as she came to realize something. All of this time Elsa believed that she had been the only one born with magic, but no... Anna had a magic all of her own. She always has. "You're such an amazing person, Anna. I can only hope to learn to be more like you." Elsa closed her eyes as sweet, warm relief washed over her entirety, carrying with it years of torment and soothing old scars. It was then that an idea came to her. After one final, purging breath, she took hold of Anna's hands once more. "Say, why don't we get out of here, hmm?"

Anna's eyes lit up with anticipation. "And do what?"

"I don't know..." Elsa teased.

"Elsaaa" Anna whined and begged, earning herself an amused look from her sister.

"Well," Elsa paused, "I was thinking."

"What?"

"Why don't we go build that snowman?"


End file.
